 Poster: A snowHead
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firebug, dither no longer, most of my bookings have come via French websites this winter.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Helen Beaumont, That's great! I think I'm going to try a couple, emphasise what's included and see what happens 
easiski, I think it's a really good idea - last year we had a lot of bookings like that and it worked really well - much better for everyone to have the changeovers spread out too.
pam w, "I suppose that if people have bought property with large loans which have to be serviced, maybe with rather optimistic estimates of occupation, things could become v difficult. " Indeed, and especially if that loan is being repaid in sterling.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Today's Sunday Times reveals that Ski Esprit is discounting holidays by huge percentages:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5823293.ece
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| The family ski specialist Esprit ... has even more staggering discounts: a week at the Chalet Sonnenalp, in Kaprun, Austria, leaving next Saturday, is £699 for a family of four, including flights - if you’d booked when the brochure came out, you’d have paid £649pp - and a week for a family of four at the Chalet Verwall, in Obergurgl, also in Austria, leaving on March 22, is down to £995 from £2,626. |
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Indeed, and especially if that loan is being repaid in sterling.
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Well, just at the moment, you'd be better off repaying in sterling whether or not your primary income is earned in sterling or in euros, wouldn't you? Compared to last year or the year before?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I don't quite follow you? If you're paying off a euro mortgage in sterling, the payments have gone up a lot. Say you have to pay 1000 euros a month, that used to cost you, say, £700 - now it costs you close to £1000.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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firebug, sorry, I thought you meant that you had to repay the loan in sterling. If the loan has to be repaid in euros and you are earning the money in sterling then - yes - bad news. 
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A Post I made some weeks ago about an upmarket Brtish Chalet Company not paying its bills,leases in St Anton was deleted by Admin !!
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There are a lot of British Chalet Companies running round juggling everything at the moment and not paying bills.................. the ones who are retaining their reputation in resort are those who are paying on time...
stanton, wasn't your post about the company not paying last season though?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
Today's Sunday Times reveals that Ski Esprit is discounting holidays by huge percentages:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5823293.ece
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| The family ski specialist Esprit ... has even more staggering discounts: a week at the Chalet Sonnenalp, in Kaprun, Austria, leaving next Saturday, is £699 for a family of four, including flights - if you’d booked when the brochure came out, you’d have paid £649pp - and a week for a family of four at the Chalet Verwall, in Obergurgl, also in Austria, leaving on March 22, is down to £995 from £2,626. |
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we all may as well 
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I'd say the two articles highlighted are pretty much spot on.
The big boys are shedding serious amounts of chalet (and flight) capacity for next year and negoitiating rents down on everything they are keeping. There are also large numbers of small operators who have been hit by low bookings and/or the exchange rate and will have to (or choose to) throw in the towel. The exchange rate has had an impact on those selling in Euros as they have looked very expensive next to those selling in sterling - accordingly they've had to cut prices or lose bookings.
My prediction would be for far more than half a dozen firms to crash out of the market. Next season will see less capacity and higher prices. The big firms will focus on hotel and residence accommodation on allocation and will only have committed chalets where they know they can sell them with a decent margin. I wouldn't imagine that any of them has made proper money out of a big chalet programme for the last three seasons.
With many getting out of the chalet market there is, however, an opportunity for those that have a very clear destination or product (e.g. families/singles) focus and can ride out the storm. They may even end up making some money out of it....
P.S. A French accountant (who specialises in TOs) told us last week that the Savoie had had a far tougher time than the Haute-Savoie this winter (in terms of sales) so there may be a geographical pattern to any failures.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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the Savoie had had a far tougher time than the Haute-Savoie this winter (in terms of sales)
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Did he have any idea wh?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Just back from La tania and our chalet host told us of a number of redundancies of chalet staff in the village due to under or no occupancy for March. It looks as though early bookings for the Feb school hols have held up the cash flow, but as things get tougher in the UK bookings are falling off a cliff in France. To some extent it will be the French mega resort's own fault with high prices for even the most simple item. We flew with Jet2 to Chambery, it was only a third full on the way out and (for some reason I do not know why) the Newcastle and Edinburgh flights were combined on to one plane for coming back and the 737 was still not full. Maybe another snowhead was on the flight and knows why the two flights were combined. The prices in the 3V were insane and although the exchange rate is against us the prices would have still been insane at 1.65 to £1. The best example was a 1850 place with a bowl of strawberries for 25 euros and a seafood main for 120. Any yet the place was packed out ....
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"the Savoie had had a far tougher time than the Haute-Savoie this winter (in terms of sales)"
Surprising given the very good conditions :/
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You know it makes sense.
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could it be that the haute savoir has for the 2nd season had good snow and therefore people don't see the need for a long transfer when there's great skiing to be had within an hour of Geneva without the price ticket (ignoring some of the silly deals)
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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i got an early flight to salzburg from stanstead last monday morning with ryanair, its was barely 1/3rd full. flight back late fri evening was pretty busy though
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Poster: A snowHead
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stanton, wasn't your post about the company not paying last season though?[/quote]
No.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, I'm guessing a combination of better snow if the Haute-Savoie (similar snowfalls I think but some high resorts in the Savoie lost a lot to high winds earlier in the season), easier access from GVA and crackers local prices in 3V & others resorts for food & drink.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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ctskifam, yes, perhaps they meant the "high resorts in the Savoie". I spend the winter in one of the lower ones, which has had magnificent snow cover.
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FAQ
